California Attorney General Rob Bonta has announced a settlement with the Sacramento City Unified School District following an investigation into its enrollment policies. The settlement addresses practices that, according to the California Department of Justice (DOJ), disadvantaged students of color, those with limited English proficiency, socioeconomically disadvantaged students, students with disabilities, and students experiencing homelessness or in foster care.
The complaint and stipulated judgment were filed in Sacramento County Superior Court after a comprehensive review by the DOJ’s Bureau of Children’s Justice. The investigation found violations of state laws related to open enrollment and non-discrimination, as well as failures to provide required protections for certain student groups. The DOJ determined that these practices created barriers for Black and Latinx students and others.
“Every student has the right to equal access to a quality public education. That starts with enrollment,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “Protecting the academic futures and overall well-being of our kids is a top priority — and we’re committed to taking action when we hear concerns. My team conducted a thorough investigation of the Sacramento City Unified School District’s enrollment practices and worked cooperatively with them to reach this agreement. I am confident that Sacramento City Unified will implement these necessary reforms to ensure that state laws are followed and no one is unfairly disadvantaged when it comes to enrolling their kids in school.”
Superintendent Lisa Allen responded: “We believe strongly in the principles of equity and access. While we stand by our enrollment practices, we recognize there are areas where the district can further improve. Sacramento City Unified looks forward to the support of the Attorney General’s Office as we continue implementing process and procedural changes for the benefit of all students and families.”
The DOJ began its investigation in July 2024 under Government Code section 11180 et seq., reviewing compliance with laws on school enrollment and transfers after the start of the year. Sacramento City Unified uses both registration (a rolling process) and Open Enrollment (a voluntary process for certain schools). When class sizes exceed contractual caps, a process called ConCapping transfers students between schools.
The investigation found that some families faced obstacles such as long travel times by public transit during limited business hours or requirements like attending daytime school visits or completing lengthy questionnaires before being entered into lotteries for admission. One school handbook indicated volunteer hours were required for admission. After being notified by DOJ, Sacramento City Unified began making policy changes.
To address these issues, DOJ and Sacramento City Unified agreed on a five-year plan outlined in a stipulated judgment. Measures include creating a centralized assistant superintendent position overseeing enrollment processes; developing an internal dashboard for data transparency; forming community advisory groups; staff training; ensuring accessible communications about enrollment; DOJ review of complaints regarding legal violations; evaluating admission exams for non-discrimination; and providing compensatory educational services for affected foster youth and homeless students.
The California Attorney General serves as the chief law enforcement authority across California, focusing on enforcing state laws, protecting public rights, advancing civil rights initiatives, consumer protection efforts, environmental justice work, criminal investigations, forensic support services, legal representation, transparency through public data portals like OpenJustice, and maintaining headquarters in Sacramento (source). Rob Bonta leads this office (source).
